5 Reasons Why Alkaline Water Is Unnatural

Drinking alkaline water has become popular in recent years, primarily as a means to combat the effects of a high-acid diet and sedentary lifestyle. But modern methods of producing alkaline water are unnatural and potentially dangerous. While limited use of naturally occurring alkaline water may benefit those suffering from certain health conditions, such as bronchitis or acid reflux disease, for most people consumption of alkaline water will have negative side effects—especially if the water was alkalized by means of an artificial process.

Five reasons why alkaline water should be considered unnatural and avoided by anyone lacking a doctor’s prescription for it are as follows:

It is manufactured by means of electrocution: Electrocuting water to adjust its pH level is certainly not natural. Consider that your body is 80% water-content, and ask yourself, “Do I want the water in my body to be gradually replaced by water that has been artificially transformed by electricity?” Technically, this process is called ionization because an ionizer is used to separate water’s hydrogen and oxygen ions and create high-hydrogen, alkaline water on one side of the tank while the other side’s water turns acidic, but knowing the science behind alkaline water only reinforces the fact of its artificiality.

It reverts to its original form after consumption: Artificially alkalized water is unstable and will automatically return to its former state if left to sit long enough or following consumption. Thus, you will have to continually drink alkaline water in order to maintain its supposed benefits, for the alkalinity itself disappears in a short span of time.

Its pH is too high and its mineral content is deficient: The properties of alkalized water are unnatural. Normal drinking water in neither acidic nor alkaline, but neutral (pH of 7). Alkalize water has a pH of 8 to 11, and anything higher than 11 can irritate skin and eyes and cause gastrointestinal problems—why drink water that is “borderline dangerous?” Alkaline water also typically lacks minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, that our bodies need to maintain proper pH, heart health, blood pressure, and more.

Drinking too much of it can be dangerous: Water is one of the few things you should be able to consume in as high a quantity as you like without worrying about negative side effects, but this is not so with alkaline water. Too much alkaline water can lead to alkalosis, which has symptoms like nausea, trembling, and disorientation. Too much can also lower the acid level in your stomach to the point where it can no longer kill off harmful pathogens before they have a chance to enter your bloodstream. Finally, too-low acidity in your stomach can hinder your ability to properly digest vitamin B-12, which is necessary for the efficient digestion of proteins.

It comes from a machine and is relatively expensive: Where does this alkaline water come from? a spring? a stream? a snow-fed brook? No. Its source is a piece of machinery—and a very expensive piece of machinery, which also translates into higher-priced water. Water naturally flows downhill, not along an electric current between two nodes. Water is super-abundant on Earth and naturally cheap, but the unnatural process of water-ionization has made it expensive.

Ionized alkaline water is one of the latest trends, but its few, questionable benefits are dwarfed by a mountain of problems it creates. Alkaline water is unnatural, of questionable safety, and not long-tested on the market. Anyone seeking to live a healthy lifestyle and eat/drink only natural products has good reason to steer clear of alkaline water.